Practicing Ikebana

Words by Tara Khan of In Bloom Wellbeing and photography by Rebecca Lindon.

I have been curious about nature, trees and flowers since I was a child. On my walk home from school around the age of 8/9 years, during Spring I would gather the pink fluffy cherry blossom sprigs and create miniature bouquets - not realising that this was probably my first interest in floristry which would later become vocation for many years.

Throughout my childhood I was always encouraged by my mother to be outside in nature. She is of Swiss nationality and as with most people living in Switzerland they have a very active outdoor life. Our yearly summer holidays were spent swimming in lakes, walking in the woods and hiking in the mountains. When my mother came to the UK as a young adult she didn’t want to lose that outdoor connection she had in Switzerland and so avidly encouraged my sisters and I to always play out and go for walks in nature. Living and growing up in London, we had many many day trips to Kew gardens and local parks! Slowly I became accustomed to paying an interest and connecting with the outdoors and nature. It has always made me feel my most grounded, at peace and given me clarity and inspiration when I need it most.

Around my late 20’s I became inquisitive about and eventually started a vocation in floristry. At that time I began to notice that local florists in my area didn’t really offer an interesting choice of flowers or even hand-tied bouquets and so I signed up to a local flower arranging course and never looked back! I did many more in-depth floristry courses thereafter and worked at many different wonderful florists around London. Naturally this led to me starting my own floral design business where I did some pretty amazing weddings and events, one of which was at Battersea Power Station before it was regenerated to a shopping mall!

Eventually I become quite dispirited with the huge amount of waste that was involved in the whole process of creating designs for events and weddings, particularly the quantity of plastic used and the green oasis that was often used in arrangements which is my no means bio-degradable or eco-friendly. So I started to think about a change of course in my career path. In fact, it coincided with a time in my life when I started to practice meditation and Qi Gong (an ancient Daoist energy movement practice) quite regularly. I wanted to do something with a similar spiritual ethos but still have artistry, creativity and allow me to continue to work with flowers - which is my true love. The art and philosophy of Ikebana aligned with all this perfectly! I have been officially studying with the Sogetsu School of Ikebana - London for nearly 6 years now and will continue to do so for life, which I find so exciting and uplifting . It is widely known in Ikebana that the student and/or teacher never stops learning - each will always learn from the other, and that is one of the principles I love.

What is Ikebana?

Ikebana is the art of flower arranging that originates in ancient Japan. During the Heian period Buddhist monks that took care of altar arrangements were called Ikenobo and they are the first known masters who developed the best way of arranging flowers to reflect what they observed in nature. Buddhist values of simplicity, minimalism and always connecting to nature were strongly reflected in Ikebana practice. Buddhist monks considered it an art that rests the spirit as well as a spiritual pursuit in unifying the indoors and outdoors.

Ikebana should reflect the state of mind of the person composing it as well as their emotions, feelings and personal journey with nature. Traditionally when taking part in Ikebana it was practiced in silence and considered a meditative activity where you are only focused on the natural elements taking shape in front of you.

Today there are quite a number of schools of Ikebana whereby it is no longer practiced in silence however, it is consistently practiced as an art where the flowers and other natural elements are placed in such a way as to embody nature, harmony, peace, and beauty. Ikebana, also known as kado in Japanese meaning the way of flowers, is considered to be one of the top 3 major forms of cultural and refined arts along with the well-known Tea Ceremony.

When learning Ikebana there are certain principles that are followed which are the basis needed to create an arrangement of balance, line, form, shape and colour. The most simple rule being is the rule of three - using 3 types of flowers and/or branches placed in a kenzan (pin cushion or flower frog) at specific angles and positions. These positions are known and represented as Shin (Heaven/Universe) the first main stem, Soe (Man/Humanity) the second stem and Hikae (Earth) the third stem and are formed in an asymmetric triangle within a shallow container (suiban) that makes space (ma) for the water to be shown as a reflective pool.

Ikebana and Wellbeing

Ikebana has long been known to have a positive effect on physical and mental well-being. It is a distinctive form of relaxation and stress relief as the process of creating an Ikebana arrangement requires focus and concentration which instantly helps to calm the mind and reduces anxiety. It was considered a mindful practice by Buddhist monks where they believed they would receive greater understanding about the transience of life as seasonal flowers would always be used to appreciate the changes of seasons and nature. They believed that working with the hands stopped the thinking of the busy “monkey-mind”.

This feeling of the “self-less mind” in Ikebana helps us to forget the flow of time as the act of working with flowers and plant material is very meditative and provides a sense of peace and tranquility which is deeply innate within us all. It helps the creator move away from negative and materialistic thoughts and more about being close to the divine spirit and universe as flowers and plants have a symbolic meaning related to the earth and heavens. And so the art form we create represents our true nature which is naturally peaceful.

Ikebana can also be a great form of physical exercise, the process of going out in nature or walks and gathering and cutting flowers and plant material helps increase our flexibility, strength whilst improving our breathing. At the same time creating Ikebana contributes to better dexterity and deftness.

I am fortunate enough to have a large and wild common close to my home in London. This encourages me to go for walks often especially in times of stress or anxiety. I know the moment I step out of my front door and walk toward the open space of the wild and natural common I feel instantly relaxed and at peace. As I slowly walk through the common which has several fields, hills and woods I immediately connect with nature and the earth beneath me. The smell of nature and the outdoors make me take deeper and fuller breaths, slowing my heart rate down and calming the incessant thoughts I may have. Without doubt I always find beautiful flowers and branches to forage. Being outside, even when I am driving, I am inspired to create artistic Ikebana at home from simple flowers and plants that I have gathered. I will often go to a favourite tree throughout the seasons and use a few cuttings from it to create Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn arrangements. I am in awe of how this tree changes through the seasons and what beauty it flourishes each time. It really makes me take notice of flowers, plants and nature at a micro level.

I believe to compose Ikebana you not only have to observe nature but also listen and to feel it in order to imitate it; if a branch is bent it is because another branch was giving it shade, recognising the history of the plant and the work of nature without question brings me closer to nature, as it did so with Buddhist monks many centuries ago. I love to play on the forms, line and volumes of flowers and plants.

Ikebana and Sustainability

As mentioned above, the beauty of Ikebana is the simplicity and minimalist materials needed to create a very artistic and beautiful arrangement. Foraging is one way of gathering a few seasonal flowers and plants as well as growing and cutting from your own garden or window box if you do not have a garden. This is far more sustainable than driving to a store to purchase cut flowers that were grown in a far-off greenhouse and flown here, with considerable resources consumed at each step.

I will often recommend to students to go to their local flower farm or grower, many of which are now popping up in and around London, to access seasonal flowers at a very low cost and you can often pick just what you need. Less is more in Ikebana - “Ma” a Japanese concept the beauty of empty space and emptiness - helps us realise and enjoy Ma or the unfilled spaces in an arrangement. Ikebana does not require a huge amount of flowers or plants, the idea is to champion each individual stem and its very own beauty. You can even use dying or wilting flowers and branches, this is also a Japanese concept known as Wabi Sabi - the beauty in the imperfect. In terms of equipment needed for Ikebana there are only 3 - scissors, a suiban (container), and kenzan (flower frog/pin cushion) in which to place the flowers, all of which last a life-time. You can create a never-ending variety of stunning Ikebana.

The appeal of Ikebana is that anyone can do it, from children to 100 and with no previous experience! While mainly women practice Ikebana, it is also a cultural activity that was historically practiced by men only. Samurai warriors would be taught Ikebana, as well as other important cultural activities, before being recognised as a true warriors and going into battle with more concentration and a calmer mind.

I have found for myself and others that I teach, it really does help individuals get a deeper understanding of nature, flowers and themselves and their own creative aptitude. It is an easy way to channel stress away from our busy materialistic world and to connect to and honour nature bringing us to a state of zen and spiritual balance.

Ikebana schools, rather like Martial Arts, also have a ranking system, you can get a high ranking “kyu” if you practice Ikebana for a very long time. Personally I find the whole journey of learning and teaching Ikebana incredibly rewarding for mind, body and spirit - it truly is a holistic and artistic practice that never ceases to uplift, inspire us and view the world in a different and unique way.